The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-21
QUEEN EAPIOLANI.
a Palatkan Talks with Her Most Gra-
cious and Most Dusky Majesty.
CofFssfondenes of the Pdldfkn Nelns.

SOUTH DUXBURY, MASS, May H.
Well, we have been To Boston and
talked with her most gracious majesty,
Queen Kapiolani. Upon this honor we
stumbled last Friday. Meeting acci'
dentally, ON Washington street, an old
friend who had spent many years
among the Hawaiians and was well ac-
quainted with their queen, he invited us
| to accompany him to the Parker House
and be introduced to royalty. Accept
| ing his invitation. we soon found our.
selves i'm the audience chamber, and
conversing with her majesty. The per
sonal appearance of the queen and prin-
cess we need not describe. that has been
done in all the papers by other and bet
ter writers; suffice to say, her majesty,
who looks to be about fifty years of age,
is copper colored, large and portly.
Princess Lilionkalani, who appears to be
little over thirty, is of lighter color,
and fully as large as the queen.
Kapiolani does not speak English, SC
our conversation had to be carried on
with the aid of our friend as interpreter.
The Princess converses in English, and
speaks that language fiuently.
The most distinguished attention was
paid them all through their stay in Bos-
ton. Victoria could scarcely have had
more honors done her in the same
length of time than did this sovereign of
the little kingdom of the Pacific. Our
friend said he doubted if more assiduous
and fiattering attention was ever paid by
her most devoted courtiers than has
been lavished upon her by the people of
doing her honor. The mayor, aldermen
and city authorities could not have done
more for Great Britian's Sovereign than
they did for HawaIis's Queen. Judging
from the record made by Mayor O'Brien
and Alderman Donovan on the Home
Rule" question, they would not have
done SO much for Victoria. But Kapio-
lani was the recipient of various other
attentions from private organiza-
tons and from distinguished pri-
vate individuals. Scarcely place
or object in the city or down the
bay, dear 10 Bostonians, which the royal
party was not taken to see. OF all the
attentions shown them, perhaps the most
notable was the public reception given to
them i'm the large Mechanics Building
on Thursday night, when over $4,000
people were present. The scene was
most picturesque and imposing. The
Cadet Band discoursed lively music all
the evening. Flags and bunting fioated
everywhere. Beautifully woven with
evergreens and flowers was the Queens
motto: aloha oe'-my love to thee.
WORTHY SOVEREIGN.
While there was much i'm this worship
of royalty by the Bostonians, last week,
that i'll comported with our ideas of re-
publican simplicity, particularly the SER
vile imitation of court etiquette ON the
part of some in their approaches to the
Queen and Princess, yet if honors are to
be paid 10 the royal representatives of
contries we know of no one better en-
titled to such honors than this royal rep
resentative of Hawaii. Though of dusky
hue, Queen Kapiolani has in her own
court shown herself to be a woman of
excellent tact and Judgment, earnestly
devoted to noble aims and with a deep
conviction of the duties belonging to a
sovereign.
Her zeal for the welfare and improve
ment Of her subjects has been the ad-
miration of all visitors to her country,
and, unless we are greatly mistaken in
our estimate of her, she is a woman ca
pable of drawing sensible deductions in
her own quiet way from the varied and
changing scenes through which she is
now passing, and her American tour
will bring forth fruit on her return
home that will be to the elevation and
prosperity of her people. Much as we
may be inclined to smile at the littleness
of her kingdom of Hawaii, that govern
ment has strong claims on our admira-
ton, and many features worthy of
praise. 1t guarantees liberty of worship
and the press, free instruction, the right
of assembly and of petition. trial by jury
and the writ of habeas corpus.
What though there are but two
hundred volumes, all told, in
the entire language; there is teacher for
every % children and scarcely to be found
a single adult who cannot read and
write.
God bless the kingdom of Hawaii with
its delightful climate; cocoanut palms
and banana plantations; and coffee
groves; Queen Kapiolini and her happy,
sober people.
CONGRATULATIONS.
This letter has already reached the
limit had assigned it, so that have not
space to refer to other matters, such as
that of the burning questions of our Leg
islature, that of the Sabbath and the
Beverly Division, but enough to allow
me to congratulate you on the organi-
zation of the Palatka Board of Trade.
May success attend it i'm all its depart
ments. Friends of Florida i'm Boston to
whom have shown THE PALATKA News
containing the accounts of the organiza-
tion, all say this is laying a sure founda-
ton stone of prosperity to the Gem City.
J. Il. ID.
BRIDGEVILLE.